Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 31, 2014 was denied. From December 31, 2014 until October 11, 2016, the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating was also denied. Since October 11, 2016, the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating remains denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in his disability rating beyond 80 percent since October 11, 2016. Additionally, the Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient examination results and conflicting opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

Service connection for lumbar spine disability and left knee disability is granted as new and material evidence has been received.,Service connection for left shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and sleep apnea are denied. Service connection for acquired psychiatric disability is granted.,A rating more than 20 percent for a right shoulder disability is denied, as well as a rating more than 10 percent for right knee disability and tinnitus. A compensable rating for hemorrhoids is denied, and a rating more than 30 percent for herpes is denied.,TDIU is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence.

The Veteran's bone cancer, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease are not considered to have begun during service or be related to any in-service injury or disease.,There is no evidence of a present diagnosis of liver cancer or kidney cancer prior to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for left-ear hearing loss and tinnitus are also granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's requests for an earlier effective date and a higher initial disability rating. The case is being remanded to obtain updated VA examination and treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to service, as there is no evidence of a hearing threshold shift during service and the separation examination showed normal hearing. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a deviated septum claims due to possible worsening since their last VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the VA audiology examiners' opinions are inadequate for decision-making purposes and remanded the case to obtain an addendum opinion from a similarly qualified VA clinician.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, vision disability, right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, gout, and granted a 10% rating for bilateral hearing loss. The effective date of the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not being advanced.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to herbicide agents and determine if any of the claimed conditions are related to such exposure. The issues will be reviewed again after this verification.

The appeal regarding service connection for a heart disability is remanded due to unclear opinions on the etiology of the condition. The Veteran's heart disability may be related to service, but the evidence does not clearly establish this.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU grant.